


Sleeping Dragon

by CelestialAuthor



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Nalu fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15062078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialAuthor/pseuds/CelestialAuthor
Summary: Lucy looks after Natsu after the Tower of Heaven fight. Fluff, my first Fairy Tail fic





	1. Realization

Lucy Heartfilia watched as the pink haired boy tossed and turned in her bed, feeling helpless that she couldn't do more to help her friend. She collapsed down into the chair she had moved closer to her bed, close enough to keep an eye on Natsu. 

"Happy? Natsu will be okay, right?" The blonde asked, looking up at the flying cat who was circling her bed. 

"Aye, sir. Natsu has been in worse shape than this and pulled through. He'll be fine" Happy answered as confidently as he could as even he was unsure if Natsu would pull through this. Natsu had been sleeping solidly for the past twenty-four hours. A long time even by Natsu's standards. 

"Why the concern all of a sudden? Is it cause you LOVE him?" Happy asked, emphasising the word love

"Shut up cat!" Lucy snapped 

"I'm concerned because he's my friend. My teammate. I mean... If it wasn't for Natsu then I might never have made it into Fairy Tail, which had been my dream since I was a girl. So, of course, I'm concerned about him" Lucy added in a softer tone.   
It hadn't just been Happy and Lucy looking after Natsu while he was sleeping, Erza and Gray had stopped by earlier. Erza was a lot quieter than normal, Lucy found it very hard to read what the red-haired wizard was thinking. Her face gave nothing away but Lucy could have sworn she saw something in Erza's eyes that looked like... Guilt? Gray wouldn't say much when he was there but his eyes would never leave Natsu. As much as he and Natsu fought Lucy knew that deep down... VERY deep down they respected each other. 

A few hours after Erza and Gray said their goodbyes with a promise to visit the pair tomorrow (which caused an outcry from Happy, feeling left out) Lucy heard a knock on the door. 

"COME IN!" She yelled out. Lucy heard the lock click as her front door was opened with the sound of footsteps approaching. 

"Hiya Lucy" Levy greeted, stepping into Lucy's bedroom 

"Oh, hey Levy" Lucy replied, turning around to the blue-haired wizard 

"How's he doing?" Levy asked 

"Still sleeping" Lucy answered 

"Well I can't stay long, Jet, Droy and I are setting off on a job but I just wanted to come by to give you this..." Levy smiled, handing Lucy a small tin 

"It's one of Mira's casseroles. For when he wakes up" Levy winked 

"Thanks, I'm sure he'll wolf them down, you know what Natsu is like around food" Lucy smiled. 

"Let him know we're all thinking of him, it's too quiet around the guild hall without him" Levy joked 

"Will do" Lucy giggled 

"Well I'm gonna be off, take care, Lucy," Levy said, turning around and leaving Lucy's. Lucy waited until she heard the front door click shut behind her friend before returning to her seat next to Natsu. She gazed down at the cuts and scratches that adorned his arms and torso before raising her eyes to gaze at his sleeping face. It was the most peaceful she'd ever seen him look

'Had he always been so muscular?' 

'Had he always looked so handsome?' She thought to herself. She let her mind wander back to her earlier words to Happy. She did owe Natsu a lot. If she hadn't had met him, she wouldn't be where she is now... A Fairy Tail wizard, her dream had come true and it was all thanks to Natsu. In such a short time he'd become one of the most important people in her life. He was her best friend. 

"Umm, Lucy. Why are you blushing?" Happy asked, floating next to Lucy's head. 

"What! I'm not. Go away cat" Lucy yelled, now painfully aware of how hot her face was flushed. 

"Ha... You do LOVE him" Happy beamed triumphantly. Lucy didn't give an answer. She couldn't. She didn't love Natsu. Did she? She couldn't love him. Could she? 

A few hours later, Lucy hadn't realised she had fallen asleep. Her head propped up by the cushion of her chair, Happy sleeping next to her. Her home was quiet barring the small sounds of... Natsu stirring. Lucy was suddenly wide awake, leaning forward on the edge of her chair. He groggily sat up, wincing as he did so. 

"NATSU!" Lucy cried out happily, throwing her arms around him 

"OWW! Lucy, be careful will ya" Natsu laughed, acting hurt. 

"Oh! Sorry" Lucy let go of him immediately. 

"How are you feeling?" She asked. concern evident in her voice. He saw the worry lines on her face. He couldn't let her worry about him... 

"I'm fine. I'm good as new" He beamed. putting on his biggest smile for her

"I-I have food here for you... Mira made you a casserole for when you woke up" she told him 

"Great! I'm starving" he told her, she smiled at him and got up to fetch him the casserole. She came back moments later, handing him the casserole and watching him eat... Well, it was more like he inhaled it, Lucy couldn't help but giggle. 

"Aw man! That was amazing" Natsu announced, placing the now empty box on Lucy's bedside cabinet 

"Natsu..." Lucy began

"Yeah?" 

"I umm... Are you sure you're okay?" Lucy repeated her question

"I told you... I'm fine! I'm all fired up" he told her, he hated lying to her but he had to, too make her feel better. Lucy shot him a small smile. She looked at his smile and it finally hit her. She loved him. She loved how he was always there for her, she loved the way he'd always put on a brave face for her. She just loved everything about him. 

"Natsu?" Lucy asked. She didn't get an answer as Natsu had passed back out and was now snoring peacefully. Lucy pulled the covers back over him and kissed the top of his forehead 

"I'll tell you later" she whispered as she lay down next to him and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep herself.


	2. Place your bets

Natsu awoke just as the sun was setting. He looked down and saw Lucy pressed up against him, sleeping soundly. He smiled down at her. He felt bad that he'd taken up her bed for the past few days, forcing her to sleep in a chair.  
"Thanks, Lucy" he whispered as he carefully stood up, taking care not to wake Lucy up. Gently as he could, he tucked the covers over her and pressed his lips against her forehead. 

"C'mon Happy, let’s go to the guild hall." He opened the window above Lucy's bed and jumped out, closely followed by his best friend.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you just leave Lucy there?"

"She was asleep and I didn't wanna wake her up. I feel bad enough that I took over her bed for two days" Natsu answered.

"Oh okay.”

Back at the Fairy Tail guild hall. Erza and Gray were sitting down at one of the tables, chatting.

"So it looks like Natsu is gonna make a full recovery... Good," Erza let out a sigh of relief.

"Well he's had Lucy tending to him for the past two days," Gray reminded her, as Mirajane walked past.

"Those two are such a cute couple!" She gushed, overhearing the conversation between Erza and Gray. They were about to reply when the entire guild’s attention was drawn to the doors being thrown open.

"HEY GUYS!" Natsu called out as he walked in and over to Gray and Erza, being welcomed back by his various friends as he made his way over to where his teammates were sitting.

"So what's going on?" Natsu asked, taking a seat next to Erza.

"Nothing much, I was just saying how cute Lucy's been looking lately and I was just wondering if she was still single," Gray answered, deliberately looking to push Natsu's buttons. It worked as Natsu's face contorted into a scowl.

"Back off you pervy popcicle... Lucy is mine!" He growled at Gray.

"Wow, at least he's finally admitting it" Cana muttered to Mira as she down the rest of her drink.

Lucy rolled over and moved to drape her arm over Natsu. Rather than finding his warm chest, all she felt was her soft mattress. She fluttered her eyes open and stared at the empty space on her bed where Natsu had been earlier.

"Natsu?" She called out, before noticing the open window next to her bed. She allowed a small smile to creep over her lips, feeling relieved that she wouldn't have to confess what she felt for Natsu to him just yet.

'I've gotta stop being such a wimp' Lucy thought to herself. She sat up, grabbed her hairbrush and quickly ran it through her hair. Now she was awake, she thought she'd go back to the guild hall.

"Hi, Mira, who are the two new guys there?" Lucy asked as she walked up to her friend, indicating a tall dark haired boy standing there with his arm resting on a smaller blonde girl's shoulder.

"Oh, they're new guild members, the boy is Grant, the Titan Wizard and the girl is Austyn, they call her the Crystal Gem Wizard. They're known as the Mystery Twins. They've come to Fairy Tail from the Blue Pegasus guild," Mira answered.

"It's good to see Natsu back up and about," Mira added with a smile.

"Yeah" Lucy agreed, pursing her lips together.

"What's the matter?"

"It's nothing, just Natsu left mine without saying anything earlier," Lucy admitted.

"I'm sure he didn't want to disturb you while you were sleeping," Mira suggested.

"Maybe," Lucy agreed.

"HEY LUCY!" Natsu beamed, sneaking up behind the blonde and throwing his arms around her, making her jump.

"NATSU!" Lucy was blushing furiously as she felt the heat from Natsu's body so close to hers. She shrugged him off as quickly as she could and ran out of the guild hall shouting back some excuse to a stunned Mira and a confused Natsu.

"LUCY WAIT UP!" Natsu yelled out as he followed her out into Magnolia. Cana rolled her eyes as she finished her drink. She made it unsteadily to her feet.

"OKAY... LISTEN UP FAIRY TAIL... PLACE YOUR BETS... HOW LONG BEFORE NATSU AND LUCY TALK THINGS OUT AND BECOME THE COUPLE EVERYONE CAN SEE THEY ARE!" She called out to her fellow guild members.

"I'll have a thousand jewel it'll be before the end of the week," Droy replied.

"I'll put a thousand jewel on it being the end of the month," Jet yelled.

"Are we sure we should be betting on the love lives of our friends?" Levy questioned

"FIVE THOUSAND JEWEL ON THE END OF TODAY!" Erza shouted out, completely ignoring Levy's concerns.

The end of the day came and neither Natsu nor Lucy had returned to the guild hall, much to Erza's annoyance.

"Come on Titania, time to pay up" Cana smirked, holding her hand out to collect Erza's betting money.

"Try not to spend ALL of it on booze" Erza warned.

"I will" Cana laughed, walking away with an extra five thousand jewel in her pocket. Over the next few weeks, Cana gleefully went around collecting money from her fellow guild members as Natsu and Lucy had yet to talk to each other.

One month after Cana had started to start taking bets on Lucy and Natsu talking out their feelings for each other, everybody who had placed money on it had now had it collected by Cana. Everyone was just getting more annoyed by the day that Natsu and Lucy didn't even seem to be talking at all. Lucy would turn red and run away as quickly as she could whenever Natsu was around and Natsu was going around annoying everybody in the guild asking what he'd done to upset her.

"HEY LUCY!" Natsu called out, running over to corner Lucy in the guild hall

"Oh... Umm... Hi, Natsu," Lucy greeted, looking away from the pink haired wizard, trying to hide how red her face had become.

"What's the matter with you? You've been avoiding me for a month now. I just wanna know what I've done to upset you so I can put it right," Natsu asked.

"You... You haven't done anything..." Lucy began before she felt an arm around her neck pulling her away from her friend.

"Lucy, I need your help for a moment," Cana told her. "SORRY NATSU" Cana called back to him as she dragged Lucy away.

At the bar, Cana sat Lucy down and taking a seat opposite the blonde, she pulled out her deck of Tarot cards and laid them out in front of Lucy.

So... What did you need my help with?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing much, I just thought I'd give you a quick Tarot card reading. I don't think I've ever done one for you have I?"

"Umm, no?" Lucy answered.

"Great, let’s get started then," Cana smiled, pulling the large barrel of booze she had on the table closer to her.

"Sure."

"They can be quite... eye opening and can help maybe clear your mind," Cana explained with a sly grin.

"Umm, okay," Lucy agreed. Cana nodded and quickly drew her cards out, laying them down in a precise fashion.

Lucy looked down at the cards, shaking as she spotted a tower on one of the cards before returning her gaze back up at Cana.

"Want an explanation?" Cana asked.

"Yeah please," Lucy nodded.

"Okay, The Tower, reversed. It means disaster avoided, delayed disaster and fear of suffering. You fought hard to bring down the tower of heaven and stop Jellal from reviving Zeref but now you worry about a delayed disaster, you now fear rejection at the hand of your best friend. The Star, upright. It translates to hope, faith and rejuvenation. You need to have hope and trust him, even if he doesn't feel the same he won't let what you two do have suffer. The next one is pretty obvious. The Lovers, upright. He is your perfect partner both in a team and outside of it, you shouldn't fear rejection as he is perfect for you," Cana explained.

"Okay... What's this one on top?" Lucy asked pointing to the card that Cana hadn't explained yet.

"Oh, that one? That's The Sun, it means joy, success, celebration and positivity when you both get together, it'll mean happiness for the guild and cause for celebration. It will light the way for other couples and your bond will grow to one that will be envied," Cana told her. Lucy looked up at Cana with a steely determination in her eyes.

"I gotta go and find Natsu!" She told the brunette who had brought the large barrel of booze to her lips. Cana paused and put it down to smirk at the blonde.

"Good, now maybe I can stop taking bets on when you two would finally sort your shit out and talk things through."

"You were taking bets on us? Cana how could you?" Lucy asked in disbelief. Cana waved Lucy's question off with a shrug of her shoulders

"Aren't you meant to be going to find Natsu?" She reminded her. Lucy agreed with her and without saying another word turned around and ran off to look for him.

She found him across the guild hall, nose to nose with Gray, trading insults and winding each other up. Lucy marched up and grabbed Natsu by the arm. He immediately tried to shake her off.

"HEY! LET GO OF ME!" Natsu snapped, not taking his eyes off Gray.

"We need to talk," she growled at him, he relaxed as soon as he heard it was Lucy.

"Okay..." Natsu muttered as he allowed himself to be dragged away from Gray.

"Yeah, that's right! Run away Pyro," Gray called out to him.

"YOU'RE JUST LUCKY LUCY IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN KICKING YOUR ASS!" Natsu shot back at him.

She didn't let go of his arm until she reached her flat. She dragged him inside and instructed him to sit down on her bed.

"Natsu, did you mean what you said back at the guild... What you said to Gray? Am I really that important to you?" Lucy asked him.

"Well, yeah. Of course, you are," Natsu answered. "You're Lucy." He added softly. Her heart skipped a beat at those words.

"W-what do you mean by that?" She asked.

"I... I dunno, it's just... It's always us, isn't it? Natsu and Lucy," He answered as if it was obvious.

"Oh," was all Lucy could manage in reply.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked.

"I..I... Umm," Lucy stuttered, pulling her hand away from him, avoiding his gaze, keeping her eyes fixed firmly at her own two feet. Natsu dropped Lucy's hands as he brought his up to run them through his hair.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm messing everything up again aren't I?" Natsu exclaimed as he began to panic, causing Lucy to become flustered, trying to calm him down and reassure him he's done nothing wrong. Unfortunately, he was too concerned with beating himself up to listen to her so she did the first thing that came into her mind... She grabbed his cheeks and pressed her lips against his, successfully shutting him up. Lucy broke the kiss immediately as she realized what she had done and turned around to run away. Before she could, Natsu grabbed her and pulled her back towards him. He wrapped his arm around her back and kissed her, bringing her as close to him as she could be.

"Like I said,” he smiled. “We’re Natsu and Lucy. You're mine. I can't imagine life without you," Natsu whispered softly into her ear. 

"Oh man, I can't wait to tell everyone back at the guild about this" Happy giggled, covering his mouth with his paws as he floated unseen outside of Lucy's bedroom window. Flying away as quickly as he could back towards the Fairy Tail guild hall. 

"HEY GUYS!! YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I JUST CAUGHT NATSU AND LUCY DOING!?!?" Happy announced

"What is it Happy?" Mirajane asked.

"They were kissing and hugging, just like this..." Happy gleefully told them, wrapping his arms around himself and making over exaggerated kissing sounds.

"About damn time!" Cana yelled out over the rest of her guildmates cheering.

"I FINALLY BEAT ERZA AT SOMETHING!" Gray cried out joyfully as he accepted a small bag of jewels from Erza.

"Dibs on being Godmother" Mira called out.

There was a brief moment of silence as Natsu and Lucy walked into the guild hall hand in hand before they were swarmed by their friends all offering their congratulations. Natsu was trying to thank everybody one by one but was stopped as Erza pulled him into a tight embrace, pinning his head to her breastplate.

"I'm so proud of you, but if you ever hurt Lucy or let her down in any way... You'll have to answer to me," Erza whispered to him before releasing him and turning her attention to a protesting Lucy.

Makarov called for silence before announcing that this was a cause for celebration, leading to more cheering and whooping from the guild. The booze started to flow and everybody began to party. Makarov climbed on top of the nearest table and began to dance.

Over in a corner close to the bar, Mirajane and Cana stood, watching the party unfold.

"I know what you did" Mira smiled as she spoke to Cana, not taking her eyes off of their friends.

"Dunno what you're talking about" Cana replied, bringing her barrel of booze to her lips.

"Oh please" Mira giggled. "You're such a sweetheart."

"Am not," Cana frowned "I just couldn't stand to see them like that anymore."

"Well I'm glad you did," Mira smiled, looking over the party, but keeping her eyes firmly on Natsu and Lucy.

"Me too," Cana agreed as she looked around the guild with a satisfied smile.

**Author's Note:**

> A MASSIVE thank you to CrazyKitCat for the help on this fic! It was greatly appreciated :D 
> 
> So this is my first Fairy Tail fanfic posted because I am absolute Nalu trash lol
> 
> Hope you enjoy this and if you wanna see more Fairy Tail fics from me in the future just let me know :)


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